Third runway to be built at Heathrow

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The new runway is due to open in 2017

A third runway is set to be approved at Heathrow, increasing the number of daily flights by 500 a day.

This will be done by imposing a new "pollution charge" on old lorries to allow the airport to meet tough new environment guidelines.

Ministers are expected to endorse the plan next week, paving the way for more flights at Britain's busiest airport - despite earlier promises that Stansted will be expanded first.

Up to 700 homes and a number of listed buildings would have to be demolished to construct the extra runway and a sixth terminal.

A report in The Times today claims that the Government has accepted that the economic benefits of a third runway outweigh the environmental costs.

While the extra runway is not expected to open until 2017, the requirement to alternate flights on the existing two runways will be lifted to increase the number of takeoffs and landings.

This will cause additional misery for about 500,000 homes across west London - who gain a degree of respite from noise when the landing paths change at 3pm - but increases the number of flights by 60,000 a year.

Any expansion of the airport will also be fought by Mayor Ken Livingstone, who does not believe that the boost to the economy outweighs the harm to the environment caused by nitrogen dioxide emissions.

A secret document drawn up by airport operator BAA suggests the poor air quality around the airport - a major barrier to expansion - can be eased by imposing road tolls or penalties on ageing lorries using the M4 and other surrounding roads. Lorries generate up to 15 times more pollution than cars.

The move follows the Government's acceptance of a report by former BA boss Sir Rod Eddington last week that the expansion of Heathrow is crucial to the economy and to maintaining London's position as Europe's financial centre.

The Chancellor's pre-Budget report said this week: "To avoid the economic consequences of constraining aviation growth, further expansion of UK airport capacity is needed.

"Heathrow plays a unique role in the UK as a hub airport and demand for capacity already significantly exceeds supply, leading to less competition, greater congestion, reduced choice and higher prices for passengers."

The report made no mention of Stansted, which the Government promised three years ago would receive a new runway before Heathrow.

The move to expand Heathrow rather than Stansted is backed by major airlines and Ferrovial, the Spanish company that recently bought BAA.

According to the report, the Department for Transport has been monitoring air pollution around Heathrow and is confident it can be reduced to comply with European limits by the time a third runway opens in 11 years. The process will begin in 2008 with the submission of a planning application.

A BAA source said: "We are completely committed to expanding Heathrow."

John Stewart, chairman of ClearSkies, which opposes the expansion of Heathrow, said: "The Government is gearing up to allow a new runway at Heathrow before Stansted but they won't be honest about it.

"There will be the mother of all battles over Heathrow because the environmental movement sees it as a cause célèbre. It will be the Newbury bypass of the skies."

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